Step out of the office and jump into life!

By: Bree Blair

Careers are endless. Anything you can think of, there is probably someone that does that for a living, and if not, you could always be the first. Now I don't know about you, but I definitely don't want to sit in an office all day for my career, especially since there is an infinite number to choose from. I want to be out doing things I enjoy while meeting new people and gaining new experiences everyday. If you're worried about getting stuck in the rut of a typical office job, stapling papers, and answering the phone, here are some things to think about:

1. If you could do one thing all day (that's legal), what would it be? 
2. With that answer, how can you make or incorporate that into your career?

Being able to incorporate little things that make you happy outside of work into your everyday career will make your experience that much more rewarding and enjoyable. The days won't drag on where you find yourself looking at the clock every 5 minutes (even though you swore it had been an hour) or you won't feel the need to use that same old excuse that you have yet again another flat tire and can't make it to work that day. For example, can you imagine being a dolphin trainer or someone who gives skydiving lessons?! I know it seems a little far-fetched, but hey, people do it everyday. People who are excited to wake up everyday for their career never have to experience the feeling of "work." They just get to wake up and share amazing experiences with new people.

After talking to a dolphin trainer, I realized that the possibilities of my degree, or any degree for that matter, will be endless. The woman I met was not a Marine Biology major like many assume you should be. She was actually a Psychology major; her reasoning for this was that the trainers use operant conditioning on the animals, which is a very popular method of positive reinforcement training in psychology. Of course Marine Biology will make you very knowledgeable with dolphins if that's your thing, but the point is that no matter what, your possibilities are endless. You can get a great education, pursue a degree, and still find a way to do unique things that make you happy and keep you interested.

If being a dolphin trainer or skydiver seems a little out of your league, then think in smaller terms but the same idea. What interests you? If being able to express your creativity makes you forget about the aspect of work, then a career in that field would be perfect for you. The more you are interested in something, the more successful you will be. The best way to achieve this type of success is to set a goal and go for it, no matter how impossible it may seem. Do a little soul searching, gain some self-actualization, and head for the hills. Your degree is endless (well, to a point), so instead of sitting in an office all day, you could be out enjoying all the wonders of life!

Toppel Stars - Monica Page

Written by Oleg Ignatenko



   Monica Page has been recognized as one of the first Toppel Stars. She was chosen after she had received a full time position as with TE Connectivity in Marietta, Georgia. She is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated from the University of Miami in December 2011. Her majors were Public Relations and Psychology.
Through her work at the Toppel Career Center as a Peer Advisor, she had plenty of information about internships and had great opportunities to obtain them.  Monica certainly did not let those opportunities go to waste and as a result, she had held three different internships throughout her time at the University of Miami.  She was a Marketing and Concert Promotion Intern at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.  She held the position of Editorial Intern for the Back/Slash Magazine.  Her last internship was at the Career Eagle company where she worked in the position of Social Media and Community Relations.

After graduation, with the help of her present employer, she had sent out a resume to TE Connectivity and had a phone interview the same day.  She then had a second phone interview with the manager of the department and three days later she went in for a in-person interview with the same two people that she had spoken to previously on the phone.  Three weeks later, she was more than elated to find out that the company had accepted her and wanted her to start immediately as their Corporate Sourcing Specialist.  Monica had previously held a very high interest in the technology industry so this position would not only give her the opportunity to work in a field that she loves but also will allow her to experience the day to day job of a Corporate Sourcing Specialist.  Her advice to other students who are seeking jobs and planning for the future is to “Use your time wisely while you’re at college to figure out what you want to do, so when it is time to graduate, you will be prepared for the "real" world”.